The Game of Life
by CaitlinNeko
Summary: Following the lives of the Elric family.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, or any of its characters. I will, to an extent, own some of the characters appearing in this fan fiction, but nowhere near all of them.

_Note:_**If you read the chapter without reading this note, you will be confused.** Possibly even disturbed. This fan fiction's aim is to follow the life of the Elric family, but NOT starting at Ed…or not the one you'd think. The man in this chapter is Edward Elric, yes, but he is Ed's grandpa.

This fan fiction will continue to follow the lives of Elrics, going down the family tree as far as I feel like it. This story can be ended at any given time, both for reader or writer. There will be many places where it'll probably be possible to jump off (Maybe you just want to regard it as the story of Trisha's parents, then you'd be able to stop reading after a couple of chapters until Trisha's born, and be happy with it, etc.)

You might eventually get the chapter titles; they all _do_ have relevance, though.

**Rock, Paper, Scissors**

"_Oooh sweetheart!"_

The voice made one Edward Elric freeze. But only for a moment, gathering his wits about him, he pushed into full speed, hurrying ahead. He was caught in between welcoming back his girlfriend and running as fast as he could, because he had forgotten to pick her up at the train station, and she could be _scary_.

As in, those-who-make-her-angry-might-not-_**live** _sort of scary. And, he had learned by now, that wrenches were not _meant_ to be imbedded in your skull. He didn't want one _permanently_ there.

"Oh, come back here, _sweetheart_!" the last word, laced with a venomous tone, chilled his blood.

And to think, he had planned on living to twenty-five…And he had been so close, too.

He spun his arms out to both sides, trying to catch his balance, cursing the winter months as the snow and ice below him caught him off-guard, sending him spiralling to the ground. It wasn't long before a shadow loomed over him.

"Oh, _Edward._"

He gulped and looked up to the woman addressing him, giving her a weak grin, "H-Hey, Hun."

She moved her hands from her hips to be folded over her chest, and tossed her strawberry blonde pony tail over her shoulder with one quick motion, giving him an indignant "humph." as the only answer.

This was bad. "I-I can explain." His grin grew all the feebler, but he did his best to mask it, as the icy gaze returned to him, "Y-You see…um…Jenny-from down the road, right?-was asking for some vegetables…and she always asks last minute, you know?-and then I realized that I hadn't harvested the vegetables yet…and…I…" he gulped, recognizing the look on her face. Bad move.

"You chose to help _Jenny_ over _me_?" she growled.

"I-i-i-it's not that!" he stuttered, gulping. He wondered if this was a good time to find religion. He ran a hand through auburn hair as he pulled himself up, "C'mon, sweetheart..."

"Oh, don't you sweetheart, _me_." She frowned, moving her hands back to her hips, a slow, gradual smirk found it's way onto her lips. "Well, Edward…it's okay that you didn't come to help me out." She made another toss of her hair, a smug look on her features, "I met a kind man while I was in Central, and he was passing through town, so _he_ helped me with my bags." She gave an all too sweet smile, "Hohenheim, I believe was his name."

Ed growled at the implications his girlfriend was giving him, but she continued before he could say anything, "He was rather handsome though-and a genius alchemist, from what I've gathered."

"Pinako…" the name came out as an almost growl, before it hit him. Alchemy. Didn't alchemist believe in something…equivalent exchange, was it? An eye for an eye, so to speak…a hard day's work for bread on the table. That he could understand-and now he could understand _this_. "Pinako," he repeated her name, gently, this time, "I'm sorry…" he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist-and she let him, thank the heavens!-"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you jealous."

Realizing he had figured it out, she grinned widely, and planted a kiss on his cheek-which still caused him to blush-"Oh, Ed!" she beamed, "I knew you were brighter than most think you are!"

Ed blinked stupidly, not catching the implications of this, "Uh, thank you." He shook his head before continuing, "How much did that man help you with?"

"Hm?" she looked confused for a moment, but answered irregardless, "He was only able to take my bags back to my home, for me. He had a train to catch."

Ed nodded slowly, "Good…" he paused to offer a smile, "In that case, I can help you unpack."

She smiled to him, breaking from his grasp, and taking his hand, leading him down the familiar path to her home.

"Oh, and Edward…" the tone made Ed's grin waver, "About your story…about Jenny…"

"Um, yeah?" Ed asked, looking to her.

She just cast him a small, cold smile over her shoulder, "I saw her at the train station the day I left. She's visiting family, and not coming back until _next_ month."

Ed visibly winced.

And somehow he couldn't help but think she wanted to take back her comment about him being 'bright'.

_**X**_

Days were always long and hard. But, of course, he could get through them if he had the aid of his beloved. She was always there, and he forever cherished that.

Even if he thought she sometimes said the wrong things.

"Oh! And here!" she smiled, pointing to another picture from her trip in Central. The dull picture depicted her and a man in a bar together, the man looking sheepish, her with her usual tough look, pipe in mouth. Edward could have sworn he felt a strange sort of feel about the picture. "Here," she repeated, snapping his attention back, "Is probably the point at which my friendship with Hohenheim became better."

Ed offered her a weak smile, but said nothing, still feeling a bitter sense of envy in the pit of his stomach. If there was one problem he had, it was being over protective and easily angered, often by jealousy. He re-mentally counted. Maybe that was two problems. Whatever, close enough.

He subconsciously pulled more things out of her bags, finding some of them hard to lift, even to him. She was re-supplying her automail store, which was a subject he _really_ didn't understand. But then again, he probably understood it more than he did alchemy and science. Now _that_ was a subject he did often venture near. He liked things the way they were, and thought it to be the easy way out, trying to change things to the way you want and need. He'd rather work hard for it, any day.

"You know…" he mumbled to himself, turning some smaller parts over in his hands, "'Elric Automail' doesn't have too much of a ring to it."

He heard the girl groan beside him, giving him a playful-but painful!-punch in the arm, "Haha. Who said I won't keep my maiden name?"

"Mm. 'Francis Automail' still doesn't work for me."

He was sure she rolled her eyes, beside him, "Whatever. It's _my_ automail store. You don't have a say in it."

"Of course not." He shook his head, looking up to her, smiling, and she rewarded this with a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"C'mon, Ed, sweetheart." She stood up, taking his hand to pull him up as well, "I need to restock my fridge, too."

He laughed a little, pulling his jacket and boots on before wrapping an arm around her waist, walking her outside, the slightly shorter girl cuddled into his side.

_**X**_

"Two apples, a loaf of bread, a couple carrots…" Pinako continued to list off the things she needed, counting on her fingers the entire time.

Edward growled a little under his breath, glaring up at the shop keeper. But the man did not notice this, nor did he seem to comprehend what Pinako was asking him for. The man, instead, seemed to be staring off into space-coincidentally the direction of Ed's girlfriend-a light blush on his face.

"I never did trust James." Ed grumbled, and then winced when he felt Pinako step on his foot as she finished her list.

James nodded stupidly, going to get all of the things he remembered, occasionally calling over his shoulder for a reminder, which Pinako gave him.

The man was still fumbling as he put the groceries away into a paper bag, and then told Pinako the price, Edward noticing that it was a little short.

"I don't know _why_ you insist on shopping _there_." Ed growled, scowling as he carried her groceries for her, "I don't trust him."

"Well he always gives me a discount, for one." She shrugged, pulling a pipe out of her pocket.

Ed's frown deepened as he looked at the woman walking with him, "What, do you have a crush on him, or something?"

Pinako laughed a little, and waved a hand dismissively, "Oh, hell no!" but Ed noticed the light blush on her cheeks, "The Rockbells are sweet people, though, Edward. You just need to loosen up, buddy!"

Ed grimaced, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Deciding to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach, he leaned over slightly to kiss the top of her head, and she cast him a warm smile.

"Come on, Hun." She said sweetly, "Let's just back inside, to the warmth. I'll make us some hot cocoa." With a wink she offered another smile, "And _just maybe_ I'll get you something else."

Ed returned the tender smile with a grin, obviously liking this idea, and where he thought it might just be going.


End file.
